15 food samples fail VMC's tests this festive season

With 15 food samples collected by Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) during the festive season failing tests, the civic body will be filing cases against the food business operators soon.TNN | October 31, 2016, 09:09 IST

VADODARA:: With 15 food samples collected by Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) during the festive season failing tests, the civic body will be filing cases against the food business operators soon. The VMC had collected the samples since August this year.

The drive to collect food samples, particularly those of sweets and savouries, began in Rakshabandhan in August. The process continued till Saturday on the eve of Diwali.

The period also included Ganpati festivities when 'modaks' and other sweets are prepared in large quantities as an offering to the Elephant God and Dussehra when 'fafda-jalebi' are a must have, officials said.

Besides summer, this is the period when they have to remain alert and ensure that the quality of food items is not compromised. The officials added that so far in the city, no major adulteration cases had come to light.

The 15 samples that failed tests include 10 food items that were found unsafe largely due to use of colours in them.

Five other samples were found to be substandard quality. These include raw material and cooking medium like pepper, gram flour and cooking oils.

Vadodara Municipal Corporation's additional health officer and designated officer for food safety, Dr Mukesh Vaidya said in case of unsafe samples, a nod will be sought from food safety commissioner in Gandhinagar to file cases in the municipal court against the erring food business operators.

In case of the substandard food items, a case can be filed with resident additional collector, who is the adjudicating authority for Vadodara district.